The New Jersey Devils found themselves battling not just the Boston Bruins on Monday night, but the weight of a playoff race that’s tightening by the day. With the final Wild Card spot in their grasp, they’re edging out the Columbus Blue Jackets by a slim two-point margin, and every game feels like a playoff battle. Outside of the Jackets, other Eastern Conference teams are trailing by at least four points, making this a two-horse race.
Despite their playoff hopes being slim, the Devils are playing with heart. After a tough loss to the Detroit Red Wings seemed to seal their fate last week, they bounced back with a high-scoring win over the Los Angeles Kings and a gritty 4-3 victory against the Bruins on Monday.
Both the Kings and Bruins are in their own playoff scrambles, and the Devils are relishing the role of spoiler. They’re 11 points out with 15 games left, facing an easier schedule with some challenging matchups against the Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes.
Even if they win out, hitting the magic number of 100 points doesn’t guarantee a playoff berth, but the fight they’re showing is commendable.
One player turning heads is Paul Cotter. It’s been a tough season for him, with only 11 points and a dry spell that stretched back to December.
But on Monday, Cotter was a different beast, playing with speed and determination. His efforts paid off in the third period, thanks to a slick setup from Maxim Tsyplakov, who’s been impressive since the Olympic break.
Tsyplakov’s deke opened up a prime scoring chance for Cotter, who didn’t miss.
The game took a chaotic turn with the referees getting heavily involved. After Cotter’s goal, he was hit by Mark Kastelic, sparking a fight with Johnny Kovacevic.
Both received minor penalties, and the penalty parade began. Nico Hischier was called for a questionable tripping penalty, which felt like a dive that went uncalled-until it was the Devils’ turn to be penalized.
The ensuing sequence saw Charlie McAvoy hit with interference, paired with an embellishment call on Connor Brown, turning the game into a penalty kill marathon for the Devils. They faced a daunting 5v3 but managed to kill it off, showing resilience as they headed into overtime.
With overtime ticking down, Cotter, who thrives in shootouts, was given a chance to shine early. Head coach Sheldon Keefe’s decision to play him in OT paid off spectacularly.
With under seven seconds left, Cotter delivered a highlight-reel goal, roofing the puck from a tight angle and securing the win. It was a physics-defying shot that sealed the Devils’ 34th victory, pushing them back over .500.
Cotter’s heroics gave the Devils not just a win, but a reason to believe that even in a challenging season, they can still make some noise.